As the name suggests, rag papers were, largely, made from cotton rags processed at the mill to produce a pulp. The process was known as ‘boiling’. In fact, rags are among the oldest of raw materials for paper making. They were used widely for high quality hand made papers and latterly for superior grades of printings and writings. However, use of a genuine rag finish is now slight, following the manufacture of garments and fabrics with man made rather than cotton fibre.